It was once said of accountants: “They know the cost of everything; but the value of nothing.”
This pithy saying reinforced a generic view of accountants as robotic bean-counters with no appreciation of the finer, more intangible qualities of life.
Although that may very well have been true in some cases, pigeonholing an entire profession is obviously problematic.
And this particular view of accountants – although somewhat amusing – assumes their approach to work and life precludes them from appreciating values other than those on a balance sheet.
But we all know that’s not the case.
Moral Compass
Values are an essential and individual part of everyone’s lives – even accountants.
They’re the principles or beliefs by which we all organise and process how we live and interact with others.
Like most things in life, our values can change and adapt over time, or in response to altered circumstances.
But despite this innate capability to evolve, in essence our values remain as the guiding light of our lives, making up what has become fashionably known as our “Moral Compass.”
That’s why they’re also often referred to as core values – principles or beliefs that you hold dear and are central to the way you live your life.
Business Directions
Personal values have an overarching presence in all of our lives and their influence also extends to the way we handle ourselves in our working lives. And playing this principle forward, values are necessary components of a business and the way it operates.
These organisational values – just like personal values – should be rooted in the DNA of a company to shape attitude and behaviour, both externally to the marketplace of customers, suppliers and community, and internally to employees.
Central to the ethos and character of a company, they’re the go-to resource that guides how decisions are made.
A word from Brilliant's CEO
As an organisation, it is so important for us to have our values where employees understand the company's purpose and how we should behave. Our values also attract like-minded people and clients that we want to work with. Our values are part of our value proposition that differentiates us from the competition.
Our Brilliant Values
The purpose of Brilliant is to Push for a Better World in a Digital Era
Our goals are to:
Help Gig Businesses around the world sell without selling
Help the business community reach new audiences or engage with existing stakeholders to get their stories heard
Enable our clients to use Brilliant Magazine and online multi-dimensional advertorial platform for business growth
Fill a gap in the global marketplace for a new type of publication
We do this by bringing to you a revolutionary online, multi-dimensional, interactive magazine in the likes of Harry Potter's Daily Prophet Newspaper.
And evolving from these goals are our Brilliant Values, which guide what we believe in and how we behave as an organisation:
We believe in AUDACITY, being passionate and bold in setting modern pathways
We believe in IMPACT, making a positive difference to those who come in contact with us
We believe in ACCOUNTABILITY and own every action
We believe in KINDNESS and treat everyone and everything with respect
List the Ways
So, how does a person or a company identify values, compose them into a systematic format and apply them as guiding principles across life and all associated activities
Australian counselling service Smooth Sailing Counselling has compiled a handy checklist that enables both individuals to do just that and can be easily adapted for organisations.
Devised by Smooth Sailing’s Linda Mitten, the checklist is a step-by-step downloadable guide that takes singling out values that are felt to be important as its starting point.
“When you define your personal values, you discover what's truly important to you,” says Linda.
“Your values are the things that you believe are important in the way you live and work.”
“Some of life’s decisions are really about determining what you value most. When many options seem reasonable, it’s helpful and comforting to rely on your values and use them as a strong guiding force to point you in the right direction.”
The checklist encourages looking back at periods of life and career to identify times that were enjoyed, when good decisions were being made and dreams were fulfilled.
A list is created by selecting up to five of the most important values and how they apply to different areas of life, such as business, health, relationships and leisure.
The entire process raises awareness of the most important factors in life or business that can be used to guide and make the best choice or decision in any given circumstance.
It’s a straightforward, analytical approach with a logical precision that will even inspire accountants to embrace values.
See the Values Checklist on Smooth Sailing’s website:
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